Balfron Golfing Society in Stirlingshire, radiates a welcoming sense of community while enjoying enviable views of Loch Lomond.

The club has a fascinating modern-day history and maintains both a healthy membership and regular visitor numbers.

Originally a nine-hole course which sat above the village, the war effort commandeered the land in 1939 for agricultural use. In 1991 a forward-thinking group of locals launched a venture to buy the land back an recreate a new nine-hole course on the same spot. They achieved their initial goal of a new facility in 1994 and with further endeavour and charitable support, by 2001, the team created a very respectable 18-hole course. Currently plans are afoot for a new clubhouse with early building work underway.

Head greenkeeper Kevin Wilkie has been with the club since 2006. Aided by a team of three, together they care for the course, which is part heathland, part parkland. At the start of the season, they took delivery of a Jacobsen AR722T seven-deck rotary mower from local dealer, Fairways GM at Renfrew, delivered by Area Sales Manager, Mike Lindsay.

“We’re saving lots of time which is the reason we purchased,” said Kevin Wilkie. “Where we might have previously spent three hours on the semi rough, we’re down to two and it also presents the grass well, giving scope to stripe. It means we’ve freed up time to enhance the course elsewhere, spending a little extra effort on the greens or on special projects if required.”